I intend to reread it, though, for this manga is simply astonishing.
Although people have already said it in the other reviews, Hi no Tori is composed of several different stories. To be precise, each volume presents us a different set with different stories. In some rare occasions, the same character appears in two different volumes, but it's not common. It is not uncommon though to see the same characters reborn hundreds of years later. Death and rebirth is a recurring point in Tezuka's work.
The story is just great. In some cases it is also a History class. Tezuka seemed to be pretty well-versed in the History of Japan and its surrounding regions. I don't remeber which volume (LOL), but one of them depicts with great accuracy the Japanese invasion of the Korean Peninsula during the Baekje reign. Tezuka also put in the stories a lot of philosophy, existentialism, the importance of nature, the preciousness of life, the meaning of life, and what it is to be human. You can feel that some of these moments are very personal: Tezuka really put his deep thoughts on Hi no Tori. Although having declared himself as agnostic, he had a great sense of spirituality.
The volumes go back and forth in time. It is worth of note that a final volume was intended to be written, but Tezuka died before concluding it. Thus Hi no Tori is an unfinished work. This undone volume is maybe one of the greatest losses in the history of manga. Tezuka left behind a synopsis for a story called "Earth", which takes place in the 1930's and it would be set in Shanghai, when Japan have defeated the Chinese forces in their war with China.
Also, don't expect the whole volumes to be all serious and stern. Tezuka puts a lot of jokes and anachronic puns during the most unexpected situations. The most heart-breaking tragedy can be easily succeeded by a funny scene. That's just the crazy way Tezuka writes. If you have already read something from him, you will not be surprised.
The characters are deep. Real deep. They have all the anguishes, regrets, guilts, feelings of compassion and contempt, moments of anger, love, narcisism, selfishness and redemption. To be put simply, they are truly human. Tezuka did a great work on them.
All in all, Hi no Tori is just one of the best manga I have ever read.
